I think they tend to drink harsh (and probably cheap) black teas. I’ve read a little about it, and I’m really interested in trying that someday. Sounds really unhealthy, but I’m an American – what can’t my stomach handle by this point?

I think it is tea boiled insanely long times and uses yak butter. I read something about it a loooong time ago in some book on the Dalai Lama I think? It sounded very non-tea like. I can’t imagine yak butter being all that delightful.

Wasn’t it for something like keeping them warm in incredibly icey temperatures? Something about the butter tea combination to help their bodies to retain heat? I could be totally off, but I remember something like that about the Mongolians.

I’ve been reading a great deal lately about the Silk Road and tea history and my understanding is that the tea the Tibetans are drinking is a kind of pu-erh. Or at least it was traditionally. My understanding is that part of the reason pu-erh teas were developed was to make trade into Tibet, Afghanistan, and similar regions possible.

Which makes me wonder, how would pu-erh tea taste prepared with butter and salt?

Oddly enough, I’ve tasted Pu-erh with salt. And sugar. It wasn’t a cultural thing, I just had a bunch of people over and they wanted tea, so I made Pu-erh. While one guy was going to the bathroom, people shoveled a bunch of salt into his cup (along with the sugar he had already added.) Don’t remember exactly how it tasted, but I remember it being not terrible.

@takgoti: Yes, it was fishy. ROT’s Imperial Republic Pu-ehr. Smooth and sweet and had a lovely red color when being poured (totally get why the Chinese call it red tea if they are drinking stuff like this) but it tasted like a sweet glazed fish. I wasn’t able to rate it because objectively? Really quality tasting. But the taste was of FISH. (Want some in your tea box? I get it at the bulk section of the grocery store so can pick a little up for you if you are at all interested).

These really, really weird pu-erh discussions have me never wanting to try this foul brew. Not only do I have to worry about body parts and bird poo-poo in the cake, but it smells like rotting carcasses and tastes fishy.

@takgoti: So I’m guessing fish tea would be REALLY not a good flavor for you then. Hehe.

@teaplz: Well, the loose stuff eliminates the bird and human bits in it but it’s definitely an interesting experience… really smooth with a complex flavor though, so that’s good. But yeah. Fish. (Or dirt… Or decaying leaves… Or hay…)

HAHAHAHAHA. Oh, we’ve really scared you now. I actually like pu-erh quite a bit. It is definitely an acquired taste, though. I’ve never had a cake before; it’s all been loose.

The majority of what I’ve had has a very earthy taste to it and I’d say that’s the defining feature above all else. I’ve never tried some of the crazy aged stuff before. Even with my current level of pu-erh appreciation I’ll admit I’m a little scared.

One of the best things about pu-erh is that on some days I can get a really good tea high going. Also, you can get a LOT of steeps out of it. It’s one of my favorite lounging around teas. I only like to drink it when I know I’ve got time to enjoy it.

@Auggy, I can get 6-10 infusions from a lot of green, white, and oolong teas. I don’t care for blacks as a 1st infusion so I tend to not resteep them as much, although I’m sure a black tea lover could get the same results, because they get diluted tasting quick. A sign of a good tea for me is resteeping it so much you get sick of it:)

wow yak is so new to me..Ive never heard of it before and I’m definitely intrigued about the butter and salt..love to try new things! I already use soy milk sometimes and splenda ALL the time – LOVE it.

Actually I’ve been looking for a buttery tea. I remember drinking a tea at a tea house once that was so buttery and sweet. It had that somewhat salty sweet flavor of cookie-dough. I have no idea what it was and it isn’t for sale online, but does anyone know of something similar to that? It wasn’t very chocolaty like cookie-dough, but the actual dough part really stood out. Thanks!

Oolongs can take on very buttery components for me. Also, some black teas I’ve had take on a very malty, yeasty character that reminds me of bread dough sometimes. Sometimes flavored teas [I’m going to go out on a branch and say mainly blacks] are supposed to have cookie-tasting aspects to their flavors.

Not sure if any of those are approaching what you’re getting at, but that’s all I’ve got.